Summary:

The aim of the study was an environmental evaluation of three chosen
oxbow lakes of the Vistula in Warsaw. Benthic macroinvertebrates that inhabit lit-toral zone were used as bioindicators. They were collected using slag-filled mesh bags introduced substrate [PN-EN ISO 9391:2001]. The researches were con-ducted on the Gocławskie lake and on the Powsinkowskie and Wilanowskie lakes which form a complex. The researches revealed high richness and diversity of ma-croinvertebrates that inhabit studied oxbow lakes. High variation of invertebrates assemblage was assessed during conducted researches and within studied lakes. Due to identification of many taxa water quality assessed according to the BMWP-PL method was good and very good (Gocławskie: I class, Powsinkowskie and Wi-lanowskie: II class). Meanwhile Average Score Per Taxon index was not so high. Using Jaccard formula the highest similarity was obtained for the Gocławskie and the Wilanowskie lakes, then the Gocławskie and the Powsinkowskie. The lowest value of similarity was assessed for the Powsinkowskie and the Wilanowskie lakes which compose a lakes complex. This researches shows that chosen oxbow lakes are characterized by rich and diverse assemblage of benthic macroinvertebrates that can be an evidence of their high environmental value.